Employment Law News

Justice Department Settles Employment Discrimination Lawsuit

The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement with the City of Ville Platte, La., to resolve allegations that the city engaged in discriminatory hiring practices on the basis of sex by refusing full-time employment to a pregnant dispatcher in the city’s police department.

In addition to reaching the settlement agreement, the Justice Department also filed a complaint, specifically alleging that Ville Platte violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating in employment on the basis of sex when it failed or refused to employ a pregnant applicant as a full-time police dispatcher—instead, employing her only as a part-time dispatcher for the duration of the pregnancy. The complaint was filed in federal district court in the Western District of Louisiana. Pending court approval, the settlement will be filed in the same court.

“Women are entitled to equal employment opportunities and should not be denied full-time employment simply because they happen to be pregnant,” said Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “We are pleased that the City has voluntarily agreed to resolve the matter and to adopt policies and procedures that reflect Title VII’s requirements.” Read more at usdoj.gov.

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	Did You Know?
	There are laws about missed days and injury pay claims at your employment place By law, you must be unable to work for seven days (including weekends and holidays) before you are eligible for temporary disability benefits. Benefits are retroactive to the first day. The seven days need not be consecutive. Please note that there is no similar waiting period to receive medical benefits or permanent disability benefits. Those benefits are due, if warranted, regardless of the number of lost workdays.